Thursday, August 10, 2017

More River Photos...

Here's a few more photos and a little river history of our recent cruise on the Angelina River. In this photo Coraline remains unimpressed by the engineering marvel of the Sam Rayburn Dam. Later after we loaded the boat we drove the kids across the day where you could see the scenic lake view on one side and the river stretched out on the other. Still not a lot of reaction but I can look at a lake all day long. One day they will do this and wonder why they do it.

Little closer shot. Saw no one fishing this area today but it was a week day.

Cathy and Kids float with the current generated by the dam release. There is a bead and breakfast on the river, La Paz and on their facebook page this past week they recommended a tube float from their dock, not far from the dam to the highway 63 bridge as taking two hours. When some one inquired about alligators they replied "outlaws shot them Saturday night." A river float should be safe just watch for speeding boats.

This is a shot of the Bevilport boat ramp. Lot of Texas History History here. The town Beviport was established in 1830 and had a plaot owned by Sam Houston at one time. Flatboats floated cotton down the river to Beaumont and were then cut up and the timber sold. Soon keel boats and then steam boats plied the river trading with Galveston, Beaumont and New Orleans. River traffic declined when the river became clogged with logs due to sawmill operations on below where the Neches and Angelina Rivers join at a place called "the forks of the river." There is a photo in the Cedar Tree restaurant in Jasper, Tx of the steam boat Laura halted by a log jam.

Beveilport is described as a "bustling" town of docks in various histories with one of the old houses built by Randolph Doom still standing but moved from it's former location to a few miles north of the river. Doom was a player in Texas History from the 1830s to the 1880s and legend has it was the violin player that accompanied the charge at the battle of San Jacinto. LBJ and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn stayed at the old Doom house several times but I don't know at what point in their political careers. I bet it was a pretty isolated place to get some deals and plans made without leaks to the press. Ano ld Doom store ledger records that Sam Houston once bought a gallon of kerosene on credit and never paid.

Earlier this year a woman drove straight down the farm road into the river and drowned here.